Marker board arrangements are extensively utilized in office and teaching environments, not only by individuals who find it convenient to work on such devices, but more particularly in group situations where such marker board provides an extremely convenient tool for visual presentation of information. Such marker board arrangements traditionally employ a vertically enlarged marker board having an enlarged smooth white surface, defined by a conventional plastic resin or the like, to permit use with conventional erasable colored marker pens.
The conventional marker board arrangements assume many different constructural shapes and configurations. Many such arrangements are portable, and often comprise a marker board associated with a foldable or collapsible frame to enable the arrangement to be moved about as desired. Arrangements of this type, however, generally consist primarily only of a marker board, and thus this not only limits flexibility of use in terms of the different types of visual information which can be displayed thereon, but also the assembly and transport of such arrangements is often complex and inconvenient.
To improve on the portability and flexibility of use, mobile marker boards have been provided which incorporate a support base having wheels for rolling engagement with the floor, and with the marker board permanently mounted on and projecting upwardly from the base. In one known marker board arrangement of this type, the base has a generally vertically enlarged marker board provided on one side thereof, and a vertically enlarged tack board provided on the other side thereof. While such arrangement increases the display capabilities and the flexibility of transport, nevertheless even this type of arrangement possesses disadvantages in that one cannot readily adapt it for display with different media since the tack board and marker board are disposed on opposite sides, and both cannot be substantially simultaneously and conveniently utilized, particularly when the arrangement is being used for dissemination of information to a group of people. Further, such arrangement, as is common with arrangements of this type, does not provide adequate support or storage for visual display articles such as papers and drawings, particularly when the marker board arrangement is being utilized for dissemination of information to a group of people.
It is an object of this invention to provide a display board arrangement and more particularly a mobile marker board arrangement which significantly improves the ability to provide for support and display of information, particularly information which may assume many different display forms or media, whereby the marker board arrangement provides increased flexibility of use in addition to convenient use of colored marker pens, and which at the same time provides desirable mobility for transport and storage, and hence overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with prior marker board constructions.
More specifically, the improved mobile marker board unit of this invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof, incorporates a support base mounted on casters or wheels to provide mobility. The base is preferably defined as an upright open shelf or storage unit having spaced upper and lower support shelves to define a storage space therebetween which is preferably accessible from both sides of the base and permits storage on the lower shelf. This base mounts a pair of generally upright and vertically enlarged marker boards which define marker board surfaces which face outwardly in opposite directions. The marker boards, as they project upwardly, are each slightly rearwardly sloped to define a convenient angle for display and use of the marker board surface. The two marker boards define therebetween a generally triangular storage space which projects upwardly from the upper shelf of the base. This storage space is preferably accessible from either end of the marker board arrangement, and is provided with structure which permits different types of storage within the interior space. In one variation the interior storage may be defined by a plurality of upright rods which divide the interior storage into a plurality of adjacent subcompartments to permit storage of sheetlike objects, or similar shaped articles, therein. In an alternate variation the lower portion of the interior storage space can be provided with one or more drawers which are mounted above the top shelf of the base, and are slidable outwardly through one or both ends of the interior storage space to provide access thereto. The interior storage space can be vertically divided by an interior shelf, if desired, and the upper region of the storage space can be utilized for storage of different types of objects, such as rolled drawings and the like.
The improved mobile marker board arrangement of the invention, as aforesaid, also preferably incorporates slidable tray arrangements which permit support thereon of objects such as papers or the like, and which are disposed adjacent the lower edge of each marker board and can be moved between open and closed positions. Each such tray arrangement includes an outer elongate tray which, when the tray assembly is in a closed position, is disposed directly adjacent the lower edge of the marker board and is positioned for support of conventional articles such as marker pens and erasers thereon. This outer tray in turn is fixedly joined to an enlarged inner tray which is normally stored in a closed position wherein it is disposed between the marker boards directly above the upper shelf of the base, with this tray being slidable into an outer position wherein the inner tray then projects outwardly from the marker board adjacent the lower edge thereof. This inner tray provides an enlarged support surface directly adjacent the lower edge of the marker board to facilitate use of the overall arrangement by an individual.
The improved marker board arrangement of this invention, as aforesaid, also preferably incorporates a structure which enables removable magnetic support members to be used in conjunction therewith. For this purpose the marker board preferably has the outer marker layer thereof disposed in overlying relationship to an underlying metal layer, such as sheet metal. The magnetic support members are preferably formed as individual thin platelike members, such as elongate platelike strips, formed of a conventional magnetic plastic material. These magnetic support plates, on a front face thereof, are provided with an adhering-type coating thereon. The magnetic support plates can be stored in the interior storage area and, when use of same is desired, they can be magnetically engaged with the front face of the marker board. These magnetic support plates permit sheets, such as drawings or the like, to be attached to the front face thereof, and permit easy interchange of such sheets to facilitate use of the marker board surface for display and interchange of display sheets and the like. At the same time, other regions of the marker board can still be utilized for use with ink marker pens. With the interior storage stray extended into its open position, this tray provides a convenient support shelf for positioning thereon of various sheets or papers, which papers are conveniently accessible to an individual for attachment to the magnetic support plates which are detachably positioned on the marker board surface.
The improved marker board arrangement of the invention, as aforesaid, also preferably mounts a hanger structure associated with and extending longitudinally along the upper edge thereof, which hanger structure permits various hanger units to be detachably engaged therewith. Such hanger units may comprise auxiliary shelf units or a roll-up screen. Such hanger units are mountable adjacent the upper edge of the marker board surface to provide temporary storage for papers or other visual display objects, or in the case of a roll-up screen for permitting the screen to be opened downwardly in front of the marker board for use with a photoprojector or any other type of visual display screen.
As is believed apparent from the arrangement as summarized above, the improved marker board arrangement provides increased and desirable flexibility of use so that multiple display media and information can be used in conjunction therewith, as well as retaining the desirable capability of using conventional ink marker pens, and the mobility of the unit facilitates ease of transport and storage thereof.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with arrangements of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.